Markus Haid has been named chief operating officer, Maruho Hatsujyo Innovations (MHI), the U.S. subsidiary of Kyoto-based Maruho Hatsujyo Kogyo. Mr. Haid will be responsible for leading, managing, and directing operations, developing sales personnel and sales channels, and strengthening technical resources of the U.S. operation.
 

Mr. Haid will focus on providing customer guidance and consultation for the Eagle, the company’s standout blister machine introduced in 2016. An Americanized version of MHK’s PF-D1S, the Eagle is a compact, servo-driven, high performance machine for entry into the North American market.
 
Mr. Haid previously served as strategic accounts manager for Mettler Toledo and also served as managing director for Uhlmann Packaging Systems.
 
The Eagle is capable of handling commonly used forming and lidding materials, and can produce up to 100 blisters per minute at a maximum index length of 90mm and maximum index width of 130mm. The machine features tool-free changeover, multi-zone pre-heating, recipe-driven format change, and is compatible with third-party feeders.
 
“We believe Markus brings a depth of experience that will help the U.S. market better appreciate the quality, precision and performance that the Eagle offers in a compact footprint,” said Gregory Zaic, president and chief executive officer of MHI.  “His expertise also will be an asset as MHI brings additional packaging innovations to the North American marketplace.”